| Track: | Rating: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression | | | | | |
| 2. Gee, I Like Your Pants | | | | | |
| 3. Canarsie | | | | | |
| 4. Ship Ahoy | | | | | |
| 5. Deathless Horsie | | | | | |
| 6. Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar Some More | | | | | |
| 7. Pink Napkins | | | | | |
All tracks by Frank Zappa.
Note: I realize, of course, that the three albums which comprise Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar are usually thought of as being one album. Well, I've decided to be difficult about the entire thing. My legal precedent is that the albums were released separately, at first. My general excuse is that it's an interesting gimmic. With that out of the way ...
It is not the intention of this review to critique FZ's performances on this album from a technical standpoint. I am not myself an expert of the school of guitar craft, but rather a member of the interested public regarding its ramifications.
Having said that, I can probably announce with safety that Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar Some More will appeal as strongly to the general market of progressive fans as much as to the craftsmen for whom the project was specifically intended (assuming a practical difference exists). This album, the second in the Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar trilogy, is overflowing with impressive leads and band accompaniment, especially courtesy of the bass/drums department (the keyboards are rather less prominent, which, on an album of guitar solos, should not be surprising).
The album begins with the self-explanatory "Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression", which features guitar sections routinely travelling from the ugly to the sublime and back again within brief periods of time (ie. low, gritty notes and high soaring ones are interspersed fairly impressively). The some incredible switches occur courtesy of the band is this track, and the bass and drums are nothing short of outstanding. Fripp fans should especially appreciate this piece.
"Gee, I Like Your Pants" is possibly the unrated gem of the album -- starting with a masterful solo and the usual incredible bass/drum combination, the song quickly progresses into an unbelievable fingering section. It then changes direction somewhat, to a blues-prog motif; the danger of veering too closely into heavy rock is briefly presented, but this quickly resolves itself into something much better. This might be the best track on the album.
"Canarsie" is almost as good, featuring more good fingering from Zappa's lead part interspersed with Cucurullo's electric sitar. The musical backing isn't quite as distinctive here, though, and the case could be made that this track relies a bit too heavily on its main riff to get its point across. This is still extremely good, but perhaps a notch below a "classic" (despite the fact that it seems to be a favourite of several posters here).
"Ship Ahoy" is a relative misstep, which is to say that it's still good, but a bit misguided. This track depends far too heavily on a single gimic: the electronically-skewed tone which Zappa's guitar creates throughout the track. The musical background, despite more good drumming, is fairly minimal at first; even when this changes to a more anthemic level halfway through the song, however, the gimic doesn't essentially change. An interesting detour, but not a highlight.
"Deathless Horsie" is another inspired tour-de-force (one of my favourite cliches, btw). The track commences with an atypical foray into reggae stylings, dominated by xylophone and brass flavourings; FZ's guitar provides somewhat of a thematic counterpoint to this. Eventually, the piece becomes a more typical Zappa-instrumental (not that this is a bad thing, of course), and even includes a slight reference to "Peaches en Regalia" towards the end. This track has inspired some controversy among FZ fanatics, but I personally have no difficulties with this version.
"Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar Some More" is another highlight, lifted directly from the middle section of "Inca Roads" (as some contributors to the progressive newsgroup have recently noted). The solo is both beautiful and aggressive when listened to closely, and the complexity of the work unravels extremely well as the work develops -- this is not empty riffage here. The internal shifts are, once again, several in number.
"Pink Napkins" (a variation on "Black Napkins", or vice versa) begins with a low, brooding bass guitar opening, and another unusual tone on FZ's guitar. The music is a bit minimalist at first, but still rather effective. This works as an appropriate ending piece for the "album", despite not being quite one of the work's highlights.
Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar Some More is thus highly recommended. You can't buy it separately, however -- it's only available on CD in combination with Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar and The Return Of The Son Of Shut Up'n'Play Yer Guitar, but of which are also worth having. Those Tentative Reviews, however, must wait for another day.
(review originally posted to alt.music.yes on 15 August 1997)